Rousseau and Hobbes (and Locke following him) also wrote parables about “primitive man,” completely opposite in character: the former described a Garden of Eden and tranquility, while the latter described a war of all against all—which expresses their views about human nature. The first believed in the power of rationality to lead a person to do the right thing, while the other two were much more skeptical and conservative….

Judaism and Christianity also argued about the meaning of the first sin… The latter saw it as original sin that sank man into sin, from which he can be redeemed only through divine grace… The former advanced the birth of Cain and Abel, so that the sin is not all that essential…
Can one infer a correlation of Judaism-Rousseau-belief in the goodness of man, as opposed to Christianity-Hobbes-pessimism regarding his sinful nature?

Hello Yitzhak.
To tell you the truth, I really don’t like this type of question. Why should I care what so-and-so writes? Examine the arguments and think for yourself. If you reach the conclusion that man is good by nature, then that is your conclusion even if “Judaism” says otherwise. And if that is not your conclusion, then it isn’t, even if “Judaism” does say it. And if you have no conclusion—then you don’t, even if the whole world has some conclusion or other. And in general, why is this question important? I’m not even sure it is well defined (what does “evil by nature” mean? That he will necessarily sin? That there is an X probability he will sin? What is X?). This is all just empty talk.
And finally, what is this “Judaism” anyway? Every thinker writes the thoughts of his own heart, and there is no added value in the fact that someone, however wise he may be, wrote one way or another. Especially with questions of fact (seemingly this is a factual question, insofar as it has any meaning at all), it is completely irrelevant what Judaism or Christianity or Buddhism thinks. The question is what the correct fact is.

Great, interesting questions,

The Rabbi already answered, but still—after all, the entire Torah is sweeter than honey and dripping comb honey:

The questioner should understand that in essence we are an intellectual creature, meant not to be ruled by our emotions but by our intellect.
“The gracious giver of knowledge” refers to the fact that we are an intellectual creature that can investigate and understand one thing from another through our very intellect. Knowledge, from the root of knowing, is something one acquires—not something received one time like computer memory and that’s it. Knowledge is something that accumulates in the mind. The wise man said: “For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases pain,” so in truth there is also an aspect of punishment here bound up with the sin of the first man.
You don’t need knowledge in order to distinguish between good and evil; you need to understand what the Creator asks of us, and to understand that this is good. And not to listen to His voice—that is evil.

That’s it. The first man was created intellectually mature.

The moment man ate from the Tree of Knowledge, he essentially became enslaved to his desires and in fact became more materialistic, and that is what happened in practice. Eating did not make him wiser, but more material. And that is why he did not eat from the Tree of Life in the first place, and if he had eaten he would have been somewhat more spiritual—but he chose the Tree of Knowledge first because he was drawn after desire. That was the test God gave him, and he did not withstand it, and therefore he was not worthy to remain in the Garden of Eden.
What is the message of this story for all human beings? Not to be drawn after desires, even if the person closest to your heart persuades you to do so! That is what it teaches us—and it is an important message that must be internalized.
Every person in the world has two trees before him—the good and the evil—“and you shall choose life”! The Tree of Life is the Torah, as it is said: “It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and those who support it are fortunate. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.”
Whoever eats from the Tree of Life will also merit to eat from the Tree of Knowledge even without eating from it. How so? For it is written: “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is faithful, making wise the simple.” And the discerning will understand! And take this to heart.